


i need you

by nightsickness



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Eleanor & Park Inspired, Goodbyes, Kinda, M/M, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-05
Updated: 2015-02-05
Packaged: 2018-03-10 16:29:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3297068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightsickness/pseuds/nightsickness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boy sits down and whispers a short ‘thanks’. Josh wants to know him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i need you

**Author's Note:**

> This might be a little vague. I wanted to make it a semi-short one-shot, so I had to leave out a lot of what I originally wanted to add.
> 
> This is inspired by Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, but not hugely inspired. I hope you all enjoy nonetheless.

Josh looks up as the bus stops. He watches as all the kids climb on, searching for their seats and making their way down the aisle to sit down. He likes the little routine he’s set for himself every day. It’s stupid, but it helps him remember that life will always go on just the same, no matter what happens.

The last person to get on is someone Josh has never seen before. He has short, dark brown hair and eyes the same color. The bags under them are dark and prominent against his pale skin. He looks like he hasn’t slept in weeks, and he’s way too skinny.

Josh finds himself attracted to the boy.

Looking around, the stranger finally makes eye contact with Josh. He raises his eyebrows a little, and Josh realizes that he’s silently asking if he can sit down with him. Josh scoots over a little and grabs his backpack, placing it on his lap.

The boy sits down and whispers a short ‘thanks’. His voice sounds mature, but it’s also pretty high for a teenager. Josh wants to know him.

|-/

Josh waits for him after school. He doesn’t breathe until he sees the familiar red jacket step on the bus. He doesn’t blink until the boy sits down.

“I’m Josh,” Josh says, planting a huge smile on his face.

The boy blinks uncertainly, and then gives Josh a small smile as the bus takes off. “Tyler.”

Josh’s smile grows wider. “So, where are you from? I’ve never seen you around before. You must be new to town, right?”

Tyler looks at Josh blankly.

“I – never mind. My mom’s always telling me to stop being so nosy.”

Tyler looks away and slouches in the seat. Josh sighs quietly and looks out the window. He hasn’t even realized until now that Tyler’s completely ruined his whole schedule.

“I’m from Georgia,” Tyler says, staring in his lap. “I actually used to live here, though, until I was four. I don’t remember this place much, but it _feels_ familiar. I don’t know.”

Josh smiles. “That’s nice.”

Tyler smiles back. The smile doesn’t reach his eyes, though.

|-/

Josh waits nervously for Tyler the next morning. Tyler doesn’t show up.

|-/

The next morning, Josh is a nervous wreck. What if Tyler died? Josh will never be able to know him. What if Tyler moved back to Georgia? Georgia is so far away.

Josh spills his bowl of cereal all over his lap and has to go change clothes.

|-/

Tyler shows up.

He avoids eye contact with everyone and sits down.

Josh realizes that he’s a little on edge, so he doesn’t start a conversation.

Despite the obvious tension, Tyler’s presence is comforting.

|-/

“Why can’t we see each other?”

It’s been months since Josh and Tyler met. Josh _really_ likes Tyler, but he doesn’t exactly know how Tyler feels about him. He doesn’t know why Tyler would like him. He doesn’t understand, because Tyler is so beautiful and Josh just… isn’t.

Tyler sighs. “My parents would kill me.”

“Why do they care?”

“They _don’t_ care.”

“Why?”

“Stop asking that,” Tyler says angrily, frowning. It’s the most emotion Josh has ever seen come out of him. “You always ask that, like there’s an answer for everything. Because in your world, everything happens for a _reason_ and people make _sense_. But that’s not _my_ life. Nothing in my life makes sense.”

Josh frowns slightly, taking in Tyler’s words. “Not even me?”

Tyler laughs. It’s a nice sound, even when it’s meant to be bitter. “Especially not you.”

“Why would you say that?” Josh is hurt, but he doesn’t even know if he has a reason to be.

Tyler closes his eyes. “Can we stop? Please, I don’t want to fight with you.”

“We weren’t fighting,” Josh wants to say. But instead he just says ‘sure’ and holds Tyler’s hand.

|-/

“I don’t like you,” Tyler whispers, breathing in Josh’s scent. Josh isn’t breathing at all. “I need you.”

|-/

“I’m leaving.”

There it is. The two words Josh has hated his whole life. The root of his nightmares, the reason he sometimes has trouble breathing. Tyler is leaving him.

Josh doesn’t let go of him the whole bus ride to school.

|-/

“I don’t know how to say goodbye to you,” Josh says.

Tyler brushes Josh’s fading blue hair away from his forehead. “Don’t.”

“But you have to go.”

“I know. But don’t say goodbye, because this isn’t goodbye.”

Josh rolls his eyes. “That’s so lame.”

“This is a serious moment,” Tyler says, acting mad. “Cut me some slack.”

“People say that, because they’re too afraid to face what they’re feeling. I don’t know when I’m going to see you again. I think that deserves more than just ‘it’s not goodbye’.”

“I’m not afraid to face what I’m feeling,” Tyler says.

“I am,” Josh whispers.

Tyler looks at Josh and grabs his hand. “You’re the bravest person I know.”

|-/

Josh and Tyler sit together until one day, Tyler doesn’t get on the bus. Josh lays his hand out on the seat and imagines Tyler curling his own around it.


End file.
